


Reminisce

by onetether



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Day 3: Fanart Tuesday, F/M, Fluff, Plot Twists, ZFAW, Zutara
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-24
Updated: 2020-11-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:40:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27698417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onetether/pseuds/onetether
Summary: Zuko and Katara are in the Southern Water Tribe to celebrate their daughter's birthday._______________Written for Zutara Fanwork Appreciation Week, Day 3.
Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar), minor Sokka/Suki - Relationship
Comments: 12
Kudos: 37





	Reminisce

**Author's Note:**

> This mini ficlet is based off of this fanart, it's gorgeous and I love seeing Zuko in water tribe clothing. 
> 
> https://www.facebook.com/AdultAvatarAang/photos/httpzuko-kataradeviantartcomjournalzutara-fanfiction-on-deviantart-325064120/1214835525198693/

There’s a reason why Zuko’s favourite time of year is the spring. In the spring he gets to stay in the Southern Water Tribe, celebrate his daughter’s birthday, and see Katara light up as she teaches her older students new moves that she devised in the months since she’s been away. Even now, as he and Katara link arms and walk out of their humble summer home he sees Likana and Karik erecting a new ice fountain in the shape of Princess Aurakya using a new move. 

“It looks wonderful Likana, thank you!” Katara beamed at them, obviously pleased at how easily her first students had mastered her move(Zuko was particularly proud of that one—Katara had derived the move from watching him run through his morning firebending katas everyday). 

Zuko looked at his wife, striding next to him, a warm feeling trickling down to pool in his stomach. She was dressed in water tribe clothing, a parka with gold detailing and large round black boots. Her brown, silky hair was flowing, half of it sitting in a bun, and her hair loopies framing her face as always. Recently, she had started to include braids in her own hairstyles, including today’s which were dutch and fishtails braids using sections of her hair, all pulled back to loop around her bun. However, the most beautiful thing about Katara today was the happiness on her face. Katara had always loved the Fire Nation’s humid summers and breezy winters with moon peach buns and turtleducks, but the Southern Water Tribe would always be her first home. 

In the two months she spent here yearly bringing Aurakya along, Katara beamed with happiness as she saw how the waterbending academy she had started 10 years ago progressed, and her father spoiling Aurakya with gifts and Gran-Gran telling her infinite stories. 

And Zuko? He usually spent one month in the Water Tribe because of his responsibilities--spending a hard one month away from his daughter, but sometimes in a peaceful year, he has been able to stay for two months. He had always abandoned his Fire Nation regalia, leaving the Fire Lord at the castle and donned his own Water Tribe outfit, complete with a new pair of mittens that Gran-Gran had given him this year. 

“Come on Zuko, we have to light the lanterns before Aura comes back with Aang and Toph,” Katara said, pulling on his arm as they both ran ahead, up the arch that looked out over the tribe. 

When they made it to the top, Zuko and Katara let out a silent gasp. Today was the day before Aura’s birthday, and the only day the Sun set in the South Pole. No matter how many times they saw a Southern Water Tribe sunset(Zuko has been visiting for many years so it’s been quite a few for him, and Katara has a lifetime of these) it was a beautiful sight to behold. The sky was brilliantly orange and red, like a mystical conflagration, blazing with fiery colours but creating no warmth for the chilly atmosphere.

”Sometimes I forget how beautiful....”

Zuko glanced at Katara, who had trailed off at the end of her sentence, her hand dropping from Zuko’s arm to his hand. her deep brown skin was tinged with the warm hues of the sunset, he could see the sun in the irises of her blue eyes, as if she held fire within water. 

“Well, there’s only two things prettier in this world that I can think of,” he replied, squeezing Katara’s mitten-clad hand. 

“Oh?” she said, raising one elegantly arched eyebrow. 

“Turtleducks and a full plate of moon peach buns.” 

Katara whipped around in indignation, to which Zuko, eyes sparking mischievously, called out, “Catch me if you can!”

Katara lept after him, hair streaming behind her like water in a burn. They ran like they were 14 and 16-year-olds again, down the stairs of the archway to the centre of the bustling village market. 

The stairs suddenly turned to a slide, and much to Zuko’s surprise, he found himself slipping, and fell flat on his stomach to slide down the rest of the way. 

As his descent slowed and stopped, he saw two feet, definitely belonging to his gleeful wife slide gracefully to stop in front of him. As he looked up to Katara from the ground, Katara said, “10 years, and you really haven’t learned not to challenge a water bender when you’re surrounded by ice have you?”

She reached out a hand to help him up, the other one hiding her giggle at her husband who had settled on a grumpy expression. 

“ _ Two can play that game, _ ” he thought. 

“Thanks, honey.” he said to Katara, who narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

“Wha-“

He grabbed Katara’s hand and yanked her down with him, both of them rolling in the snow, arms and legs tangling as they grappled with each other. 

Water Tribe citizens walked by, some shaking their heads at the child-like actions of two adults, others stopping in their path to gape at the Fire Lord and Fire Lady acting like children. Zuko and Katara, still in their own world, ended up facing the sky, breathing heavily next to each other. 

“I’m too old for this,” Katara huffed, but her eyes twinkled at him. 

He smiled at her, and turned to look up at the sky, when he heard the unmistakable bubbly laughter of the other light of his life, Aura. The apple of his eye, his daughter. 

He laid there, listening to his daughter’s tinkling laugh and Katara’s heavy breathing when Katara turned to her side next to him.

“Time to light the lanterns.” 

Zuko nodded, smiling as he got up, brushing his snow off of his parka. He lent a hand to Katara, who graciously accepted to stand next to him. 

“Hurry up,” Katara said, “You have to get to Aura, Zuko.”

Zuko looked at her questioningly, but complied. He called on his inner flame, holding up two fingers to the first lantern. 

After Katara and her waterbending academy had rebuilt the Southern Water Tribe, Sokka had installed a lantern system, so that in the nights the streets could still be lit. All that was needed was one spark for one lantern, and the flame would jump from lantern to lantern, until the entire city was lit. 

Katara and Zuko watched as his flame reached the first lantern. A little glowing ember floated upward about three eel hounds high to light the first lantern. Katara and Zuko observed each lantern lit, all of them on ropes that ended at tall ice totem in the village square. 

In the distance, Zuko could see Aura running around, chasing Aang’s daughter, giggling to her heart’s content. 

“Zuko?”

Katara’s grip on his arm tightened as he turned to look at her. 

“Katara, what’s wrong?” he replied. He laid his hand on hers which was resting on his forearm. 

Katara looked up at him, blue eyes turning dark blue with sadness. “You should take Aura to visit Jin and Quitan in Ba Sing Se, she hasn’t stopped talking about their toy shop since we went there last year and I promised her I’d take her back after our vacation here.”

Zuko cocked his head in confusion, “Katara, why would we go without you? Jin would love to see both of us. We can all go next week.”

At that moment, Suki appeared, holding Ketaya by her hand and smiling brightly. 

“The lanterns look great Zuko! And the cake just arrived from Kyoshi, little Kya is going to love it,” Suki said as she hugged Katara. 

Ketaya stood back, grinning at Zuko who had been making faces at her while her mother and Katara hugged.

“Dad’s down at the harbour already boasting to the Kyoshi Islanders about the lanterns,” she whispered not very quietly. 

“Well,” Zuko started, “We shouldn’t let him take all the credit, should we?” 

Ketaya, catching his train of thought like the bright eight year old she was, grabbed her mother’s hand and dragged her away, in the direction of the harbour. He watched them both go, smiling. 

“You have to protect her, Zuko. You have to keep her safe for the two of us, I can’t anymore” Katara said, continuing their previous conversation as if Suki had not come at all. Zuko turned to look at her, confused. 

“Katara, what are you talking about? You’re right here.” Zuko responded, his face once again scrunched up in confusion. He took hold of her hand again, which had been dangling at her side.

She looked at him, striking lapis lazuli eyes crinkling in a weak smile, “You forgot again, didn’t you?”

Zuko tightened his grip on her hand, but she was slipping away, water was falling through his hands. Zuko’s heart picked up in fear of something, something he should remember. He was falling, falling down with the water-

“Katara-”

He woke up. Slowly, blinking away the remnants of his blissfully ignorant dream. Now he remembered. 

A quiet rustle next to him stirred Zuko from his memories that had come flitting to the forefront of his consciousness. He looked down smiling softly at the bundle that was nestled into his chest. Next to him, a young eight year old Princess Aurakya slept. Her face, strikingly similar to Katara’s was a smooth canvas of peaceful unconsciousness. No dreams of a dead mother haunted her.

_Four years._

It had been four years since Zuko lost Katara.

_________

_Things were falling apart. We just could not slow down. We were evolving into something greater, perhaps too much for our own good. And one thing always remained as I moved on. I saved a little bit of love just in case you would ever return home._

_–_ _Robert M. Drake_


End file.
